2019 right after my first World Champs at senior level, WOC 2023 got awarded to Switzerland. Ever since, it was a big goal to win a gold medal here on home ground. As it was so close several times during the last years my goal to win my first World Champs title on home ground got bigger and bigger. After EOC in Estonia in 2022, I started to put all the focus on WOC 2023. After the first a bit faster run down from Magglingen (1.8km and 442m of downhill) right after coming home from Estonia, I could almost not run for a week as the muscles were so sore. I invested a lot of time into uphill running and almost didn’t run flat at all in intervals.
- 54 days with the national team on camps towards WOC23 (September22-July23)
- 143 days on individual training camps to prepare for WOC23 since August22
- 2829,1km of running in 2023
- 87’433m of climb in 2023
- 134 orienteering trainings in 2023 towards WOC23
The preparations were not only easy and I had several moments where I was unsure about if I should still have that big goal. Especially around World Cup in Norway in April, I had my doubts if I managed to be in shape until July. After a week of sickness in the end of March, there was suddenly no energy left anymore and every training was a fight against myself. World Cup in Norway was surprisingly good then but still far away from my expectations and more of a disappointment. I decided to take one or two easy weeks in order to give the body the needed rest. As I couldn’t really lose anything anymore at that time, I also gave the high altitude camp a try. And after 3 weeks in St. Moritz, my body felt like a different one again and all the energy was back. I suddenly also got the confidence back again and after many meetings with my sports psychologist, I started to believe in that WOC Gold again. I really tried everything I could, to be in shape in July to deliver the best race I ever had. A big thanks also goes to Hotel Lenzerhorn in Lenzerheide, where Kasper and I could spend the last week before WOC to prepare and relax in the great SPA areas.
At the opening ceremony, I realized that it was about all in or nothing and decided to go all in. I knew I needed to have the trust into my skills and shape and that I had to run for gold. After the middle distance qualification, I knew, that I had the speed and it gave me a good feedback. On the long distance day, I actually felt really tired in my head, probably the lack of sleep due to the nervousness or just the nervousness itself making me feel like I couldn’t really focus. On the warm up map, I didn’t find any control without mistake and already started to give up on the long distance. Luckily, Baptiste made me be realistic again and as soon as I got the map, the focus was back. But the race felt like everything else but a great one. I started to not feel my arms anymore already after control one and realized that I was probably breathing a bit faster than I should for my speed. After that I felt like I didn’t have any coordination and fell over and over again (the most embarrassing one was the one where I just fell on a flat asphalt road because I forgot that it was not downhill anymore). I only realized that the race was very good when I looked at the map after the finish line after hearing Per Forsberg saying that this probably was the golden race. What a day. I had never thought, that my biggest chances would be in long distance but to win this long distance title in front of the home crowd is just amazing. I wanted this gold so much and thought about it in all the hard sessions, knowing that all the suffering in the hills was for that gold medal. I don’t think I have ever prepared more for a race than for this WOC, my own pressure was extremely high, and I know I wouldn’t have been completely happy with only a medal. It was a childhood dream, to once stand on top of the podium at World Champs and to realize that dream here in Switzerland is amazing. Even more cool to win my first WOC gold medal together with Kasper – an incredible day, I will never forget!
The day after the long distance was then added to the days I felt the most terrible in my whole carreer. After almost not sleeping anything (a known problem after long distances…) and some sore muscles from the long downhill (thought I had prepared well for that but even got sore arms…), I felt like I didn’t have any energy to do anything else than sleeping that day.
WOC Middle was originally the one discipline I thought I had the biggest chances to win the gold medal. Unfortunately, I started with the completely wrong mindset and made mistakes after mistakes. I didn’t know how I could be that stupid but after almost 9′ of mistakes, I was extremely disappointed and angry at myself that I didn’t take the chance of winning a second gold. Definitely wrong tactic and a race to forget with my, by a lot, worst ever result at WOC. Luckily, we learn from mistakes and I had one more chance to do it better.
WOC Relay, always a day with great atmosphere. After two good runs of Elena Roos and Natalia Gemperle, I managed to deliver a stable race, too and bring back the silver medal behind the extremely strong swedes that day. More than happy to end the WOC week with a medal with the team and I tried to enjoy the great atmosphere one last time.
So with this WOC being over, I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me on my way. Sponsors, family, friends, physios, sports psychologist, coaches, fanclub and everyone else behind the scenes. It wouldn’t be possible without you to be a professional orienteer! Not to forget the organizers, making it possible for us to enjoy an amazing home-WOC!
After a week spending in WOC-depression, I slowly start to climb out of the hole again and start to get ready for World Cup in Czech Republic in only 1.5 weeks.
